Steam and Sand 2: Anthracite Days - Game Thread

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Sir Beldon gave her a motion to wait and jogged back inside the Lodge. A few minutes later he emerged in shirt and trousers, the only thing marking him as a Knight the badge sown into his sleeve with Saint Alban's Cross on it.

"A true knight of Mercia is never off duty" he said, tapping the badge. "Though I can pretend for awhile."

He followed her to the rig, where Percy was just finishing up.

"I can assume this is one of your companions?" he asked. "Greetings, I am Sir Beldon. Miri here just handed in your... "package" to the Knights. Good catch, sir. Care to join us for a dinner at the Nottingham Restaurant?"

[MWBailey]

Percy was nonplussed. A Mercian Knight was asking them out to Dinner? His Warrant must have been completely forgotten. It had been years, of course, and AWOL Anglian Academics had never been too strenuously pursued, what with the anti-anglian sentiment going around and all.

"I say I do!"  he looked down at his own clothing and back at the knight's. "Miri's teh one who captured 'im, she did." He held out his hand to shake, saying, "Percival Van Scagg, late of Cornwall Commonwealth University, at your service." And shook Belden's hand. "If you could, let me put on a better coat," And he ducked back into the rear door and turned to the bay where Hildegarde was parked, and opened the side door of the sidecar, reached in and pulled out a nearly-new officer's greatcoat, dark Cornwallian Brown with bright brass buttons, and a dark grey beret. He transferred everything to the nicer greatcoat from his scruffy old travelling greatcoat, and put the new coat on over his gun-and-holster, khukri, and scabbarded tanker's cutlass, leaving the coat undone, and put on the beret in the ubiquitously usual manner common to most beret-wearing units the world over.

He locked the sidecar, and came out of the rear door of the rig, locking it securely, and said, "Just needed to put on the old 'versity duds, you know.  Sorry 'bout the weapons, but I fall over sideways without 'em," he joked.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

"Cornwall, hmm?" mused Sir Beldan. "Don't usually see your kind this far north. Not many folks care too much. Though I personally am a... sympathizer of Cornwall, most people here don't differentiate between her and Anglia. They both want a reunified England... just in different forms. The Cornwall government even refers to itself as provisional."

The Knight laughed. It seemed that any warrants for Percy were either not distributed this far north in Mercia, or were abandoned by that nation altogether.

"Well, we can discuss politics over dinner. The weapons... I'll let slide. Just don't go flashing them about. And don't look too respectful. I'm only a lower Knight, really. Barely out of my squire uniform. So - will it just be the two of you then? I've not seen such interesting folk in this sleepy dome in quite awhile."

[MWBailey]

"Well, There's Pitivo and Harry," Percy said, "But Harry's gone to visit old friends in town, and as far as Pitivo is concerned ...I thought he left with you, Miri."

[Stella Gaslight]

"He did but as we passed the little pub by the guard house he spotted an old friend that owed him either money or a fight and went off to pin him down to either.  I am guessing because there has been no shouting or brawling in the streets he is doing fine on his own for the moment tho I think mixing up a batch of ale hound's friend for him later might be a good thing given how he was drinking when we met."  She looked thoughtful as she calculated what ingredients she had on hand.  Well if nothing else she would have to see if someone would trade for some willow bark.  Ever since that hunt that went bad last spring she had been running on bare minimums. 

[MWBailey]

Percy continued as they set out for the restaurant, "Well, as long as he  can pull his own weight whilst he's hung over, thats all I'd be concerned with,"

He buttoned the waist button of the coat and fastetened the coat's belt as well, doing his best to comply with the 'don't flash them around' warning about his weapons. The Possibles bag hung at three quarters to his back, the weight of the blunderbuss making itself felt. "I guess I am a bit over armed, he thought. I surely do hope that it won't be needed. Here's hoping neither Pitivo nor Harris need a surgical withdrawing mission to pull them in, he prayed in his head.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

There was a small crowd waiting to get into the Nottingham Restaurant. However, with a wave and a slip of a few coins, Sir Beldan secured the three of them a table in the corner. Menus were given, with slightly more varied fare than one would normally get at an eating place.

"That's one thing great about being stationed in Sherwood." murmured Sir Beldan. "The food is excellent. The local produce is all good and having meat at all is excellent - most of it is traded from York, when they deem to have a surplus. Mostly chicken but I think there's some pork in... ah, even some beef."

Beldan chatted with the waiters and waitresses as they ordered. He then looked at his dining companions with interest.

"So..." he murmured aloud. "What're your stories? How have the wastes swept you to this quiet town?"

[Stella Gaslight]

"My home is in a series of caves by the sea.  The rock protects us like the dome here but we are nowhere near as big.  My mother was a healer and my father was a sailor with a passion for hunting.   They both taught me quite a bit.  I was happily married in training to become the next village healer when my Paavan was lost in a cave in.  I could not stay there with his memory always calling to me so I left to be a traveling healer.  I have walked nearly everywhere the sky is in the last four years I think.   I found the professor in Bromwicham and took on the job of medic.  All in all it has been a fine adventure."  Miri grinned like a person far younger and wondered what the professor would say.

[MWBailey]

"Well..." Percy decided then, on the spur of the moment, to tell most of the truth.

"Like I said, My Name's Percival Van Scagg. Yes," he said, "I'm that Van Scagg, though I don't always admit it. Mistakes of youth, one might say. Born in Whitechapel Atrium. Academically speaking, I'm originally from Oxford, under whose auspices I discovered that tail section over in Avebury, and wrote that monograph that everybody still apparently raves about (though if I had my druthers, I'd burn half of it, knowing what I know now, and re-write the other half!).

These days, I'm at least at present from Cornwall, whence I went after I realized what His Mad  --Harrumphh, His Royal Highness," Percy said, hoping that not much of his bitterness came through, "was up to. Years before, I was a Tanker at Battersea on the side of Anglia during the Chelsea Rebellion. Started out as a mechanic's mate, ended up commanding the unit."

"More recently, I was on the outs with the Humanities Dean at Cornwall Commonwealth University. I left there barely a week ago, hopped on Hildegard (My converted 'Matilda' Cavalry bike) and came North. Met up with Miri and the others at Bromwicham, and we all cast our lots together and got the job we're on now." Percy paused to defer the waiter to Miri, and then to  tell the waiter in his own turn which meat he wanted, how 'done' it was to be cooked, and what greens to garnish with, "and a hot roasted corn on cob, if you will, young fellow."

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

The waiter took their orders and hurried back off to the kitchen. Sir Beldan nodded at Percy's tale.

"Well, I think I've heard of that Van Scagg. To tell truth I trust an Anglican turncoat more than an Anglican." laughs the knight. "I envy your service in Cornwall. Being at the forefront of the resistance, so to speak."

The knight grinned as their food arrived.

"So - what sort of job does Van Scagg do this far north?" queried Sir Beldan. "On Academic or Patriotic work?"

[ScytheKnight]

Harris takes a sip of his drink as he looks the rough over 'So that fight was over some rig parts hmm? Interesting.'. "Sure." he answers the rough "I'm a person who can get things done, so long as the price is right of cause." he gives the rough a grim smile as he motions to the chair opposite. "What do you have in mind?"

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

The man looks around. "Well, me and me friends... we need someone... disposed of."

The man sat back, judging Harris's reaction as he sat down.

"The pay would be good. I can pay ye decently. I just... acquired a good bit o' cash. So the price would be ample. If you don't mind it being a bounty."

[MWBailey]

We're to go into the borderlands to pick up a parcel for our benefactor," Percy said, "hoping he wasn't already too near the truth for comfort. "Odd fellow, he was, too, didn't give his name or his rank, but he was wearin' a red coat (like I used to) when he met with us in the hotel in Bromwicham. Anybody can have a red coat made these days, though, or so I've heard."

"Oddly enough, we're not even sure what the artifact is supposed to look like," Percy said, frustratedly and half-truthfully. "The fellow swore us to secrecy about the details, though. Not that there were many of those. I'm not worried, though. Faced enough enigmas in my time to not be too easily impressed (or scared) by 'em."

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Beldan nodded slowly. "Hmm, have to agree with you on the red coats, I suppose. Can't judge a book by its cover and all that." Beldan looked thoughtful for a few moments as he mulled over his meal. "Probably just a rich Mercian. Not that it matters, of course."

"So, it's a big secret then, eh?" laughed the knight. "Some people get paranoid over every bit of junk they hear of. Being so secretive about it only gives everyone a better idea of what it is - well, more of what its not. Don't worry - I'm not going to rush off to the King of Anglia and spill your secret mission. I might be even able to give you a piece of advice or two depending on what it is."

[ScytheKnight]

Harris nods and take another sip of his drink "Of course, that is no issue. I've claimed my share of ears... both legitimate and....... otherwise." Harris takes a large drag of the cigarette and uses the smoke cloud to obscure his eyes as he takes a quick look around taking note of any possible exists, and the location of the bouncers. Harris was walking out onto shifting sands, and he knew it.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

The man looked around and nodded. "Alright then. Well - what I need removed is a witness. A Gypsy to be precise. Only one. And it has to be fairly quick. The man is at the House of Healing and is incapacitated now. He needs to be removed before he recovers and makes a report. That could even be tomorrow. If me an' me friends remain unnamed, you get cash - from all o' us."

The man stared over Harris again.

"Also..." he said, slowly. "Now that I've told you it would be... unwise to refuse with what you know now."

[MWBailey]

Percy chuckled. He had made short work of his meal,  even given the intensity of the conversation, and he accepted a refill of his drink. He sipped once, twice, playing for time, and studied the young fellow. He seemed forthright and honest, albeit in a pragmatic kind of way; he interest was piqued, obviously, and he was obviously a sympathizer with the Cornwallian cause. Percy decided to cast a gambit for Cornwall while he still could. Truth to tell, he had felt somewhat trapped since the benefactor at Bromwhicham had emerged in that accursed red coat.

"Well..." he began, and lowered his voice somewhat. "Surely you can understand that I'm walking a fine line here. Cornwall, despite their reputation as the 'white hats' as opposed to the blood-stained red ones of Anglia, has a very ruthless bunch of people working for her. So does Anglia. I'm no longer connected with either country's secret community, beyond having canvassed for the Cornwallian cause and served in the Cornwalian military resistance; a gunsmith tends to have a very good reason to be everywhere around a battle or military base, especially if he's done repairs to materiel for both sides, which I had done and sometimes still do. That fiasco down south at the White Island a year or so ago, for instance. I was there, and let me tell you there were weird things and wildly-useless orders going on all the way through. Something more than immediately meets the eye was going on, I'd wager an eye and ear.

But I'd rather go ahead and do what we're contracted to do, if only to be allowed close enough to the project it's used for to see what it is." He took a deep breath, and then tossed the last card he intended to play onto the pile (so to speak). "What we're supposed to pick up is a powerplant from an aircraft that supposedly crashed back during the Event. Apparently the locals worship the thing, or so I'm told."

He chuckled. "That's it, the whole, big, silly ball of wax. Not much, is it? It could be nothing much, but then again it could be a very small part of a very big something... Any advice?"

Percy held himself ready, just in case...

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Beldan gave a low whistle. "My, my. That is a valuable prize."

The young knight paused for a moment, musing. "Well, I think such a thing would be a great boon to whichever side got a hold of it. Of course, it seems like you're just working for a merchant who wants to make money off of it. Reasonable enough as long as you get a share of course. Still... just think..."

Beldan nodded, considering. "Still - if you want to work in Mercia, you'd probably best play by the contractor's rules if you want steady work. When I'm off duty I can discuss politics until my throat's dry but when I'm in armour white and red mean nothing - only what I've been paid and sworn to do. Here, personal honour is more important than the patriotic sort. People like people who follow through. If you're going to worry over national things... well, head south and pick a border to cross. I guess my one piece of advice would to be careful. The Knights of Mercia have no power in York. And no-one has any power in Scotland. Still, word is that York and Lancaster are down to just glaring at each other... for now. But... I'd be careful. There ARE people out there who would die for their ideals - be that a republic or an empire or what have you. And if they ever knew, they would do anything to ensure their side got the edge."

Beldan leans back. "A cheery thought, isn't it? Well, if you do cash in big, hows about you stop by some day and buy a Knight a drink or two. Don't worry - I've decided I like you. I'm sworn to secrecy and such."

[MWBailey]

Well, trust a copper for a copper's answer, Percy thought, but he had to smile, too.

"I've never yet reneged on a contract," he said, calmly and equably. "I only left Anglia after threatening to do so three or four times, twice in writing, in protest against the 'ultimate weapon' thing. It's been my experience that such devices tend to be captured by the other side and used against one. In that respect I tried to Help HRH by sugggesting that he might be wrong, and telling him in advance that  would resist such policies in future.

So, actually I'm still doing what I said I'd do. Anyway, they've washed their hands of me now, four years or more back; HRH even did a ceremony and washed in a basin, signed and sealed a proclamation, so I'm told. That probably dissolved my knioghthood as well, though its never been mentioned.

Well, I will look you up, then, Sir Beldan, when it's all finished. Who knows? maybe I'll be in , *harrumpf*, a new vehicle by then...

[Stella Gaslight]

Miri thoughtfully ate her dinner and listened to the conversation. Politics were interesting, foreign but interesting. They were isolated at Home, their cliff was in a barren area and it was almost a weeks walk to the nearest settlement. They had chosen to be apart from everyone after the dock riots where panicking people threw themselves at the ships trampling others in the frenzy. Miri knew of the little kingdoms and had often heard of the bursts of anger between them but they had always been very separate from her but now perhaps with this crew it would be different and she would have to learn much more about it.

"Sir Beldan Thanks for dinner.  If your duties are not calling to loudly could we walk together to the house of healing?"

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Beldan smiles at Percy and then at Miri as they all pay their respective bills.

"I would be delighted to walk you to the House of Healing." replied Sir Beldan. "It's on the way back to my lodgings anyhow." As he escorted them from the restaurant, the place was starting to thin out as the night became later. The lamps ringing the central field aided the moonlight in providing illumination.

"Here, this way." he said, pointing towards the white house of healing. "It's one place that's open all hours."

[Stella Gaslight]

"I like this city.  It has treated me warmly when most have been less open to me. There have been places I have had to don the band to get anything more than hostile looks from the people. Here I wear is because I wish to."  She put on the red and white band and smiled as she opened the door to the house of healing. "Being able choose on your own is important I think."  There was a wooden desk just inside the door with and a man was reclining in a battered looking chair.  He looked a little confused until her spotted the band.  "Healer Sengupta, here to help and for trade." 

[MWBailey]

Percy followed the two inside, then sat out in what passed for a lobby, at a small tabe surrounded by three or four chairs and checked his pistol and khukri lanyards. He then pulled a somewhat odd-looking mechanism and a small bundle of rather diminutive tools from his coat's right thigh pocket and began disassembling it onto the handkerchief that he had removed from his coat's inner right breast pocket. it was nearly impossible to ascertain what the object was, until he unfolded the folding trigger and worked it several times; it then became obvious that it was the triggering mechanism from some kind of firearm.

"Ill just sit here and wait for a bit, before I go back to the rig, if you don't mind, Miss Miri," he said nonchalantly. I need to get this thing figured out anyway. You just go ahead and do whatever doctoring they have for you, I'll be fine."

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Beldan nodded at Miri, then tipped his head politely to the doctor in the house of healing.

"Indeed. The Healers are respected in Mercia and have more freedom and recognition here. Elsewhere governments are suspicious of organizations they can't control. Along with the Knights and their Law Keeper branch, its one of the institutions that keeps the whole rigamarole going. Liberty, Law and Life I suppose."

He bowed and kissed Miri's hand and shook Percy's. "It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you again. I'd tell you to stay out of trouble but I think I can trust you. I've yet to have seen problems here, of all places, as well."

The doctor rose to his feet, shaking Miri's hand. He looked rather tired. "It's good that you're hear." he said in a thin voice. "There was a bit of violence outside and we have a large group of wounded Travelers. We have just enough healers but many have been forced to go into longer shifts because of this. I am sure any of them would enjoy even a short reprieve. Our Injury Ward is through that door. I assume you know your proper bedside manners." The man then collapsed back into his chair, eying Percy but being too tired for suspicion.

[Stella Gaslight]

"I know plenty of manners and how to use them." Miri said as she opened the door and the sent of antiseptic rolled out.  Percy did not seem to like it but antiseptic like the smell of the sea reminded her of home.  Tired looking faces looked up as she entered the room and she could see they were sizing her up to place her where she would do the most good.  "I leave tomorrow but tonight I am yours." She said to the nearest medic.